It has been noted that a conventional external fishline type fishing rod, wherein the fishline is exposed to the outside, exhibits several problems caused by the line being exposed. In order to overcome these problems of the conventional external fishline type fishing rod, there has been proposed an internal fishline type fishing rod which receives the fishline, generally unwound from a spinning reel, and allows the line to pass therethrough thereby exiting the distal end of the fishing rod, protecting the fishline and hiding it from the elements and from view.
However, as the fishline of this internal type rod exits the distal end thereof, it is subjected to a tensional force thereby necessarily coming into frictional contact with the distal end of the rod. Consequently, the fishline as well as the distal end of the fishing rod are eventually damaged by this frictional force.
In an effort to prevent this frictional damage to both the distal end of the rod and the fishline itself, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Heisei. 4-117232 discloses a method for production of an internal fishline type fishing rod having a bell shaped tube connected to the distal end of the rod. This bell tube, having an enlarged diameter end which is suitable for reduction of the frictional force generated when the fishline passes the distal end of the fishing rod, is bonded to the distal end with an appropriate adhesive.
The bell tube while reducing the frictional force from damaging both the rod and the line, has, nevertheless, a problem in that it is apt to separate from the distal end when subjected to shock and fresh and salt water common in a fishing environment. Hence, the fishing rod having the bell tube thus bonded thereto is not widely used.